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Thread: Guan Yu

  1. #1

    Guan Yu

    I love the dynasty warriors series, and have tried doing some research on Guan Yu. He is my favorite character, and i was wondering if he left any sort of martial arts legacy behind him. I love the kwan dao, it is one of my favorite weapons. Did he leave behind a form for that weapon, or if anyone knows the form he used? what are some forms for the kwan dao, and what disciplines teach them? Any historical background on him and his martial training would be helpful

  2. #2
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    i met this kid from philly 1 year at wong 2004. he said his kwan doa form was from guan yu. i dont remember what style he was. i might even have it on tape somewhere.

    as for leaving a form behind or anything, i dont think he did. every martial art style attributes their guan dao form to him. he is the father of it (essentially making it famous) and martial arts some say, even the god of war. he has many names him and his 2 brothers liu bei and zhang fei. they are very famous in china. as for leaving a direct martial arts behind that he studied, i never found any reference to it other then he trianed martial arts.

    its like the double short axes, they are associated with Li Kui "The Black Whirlwind" from the water margin (108 outlaws of the marsh). he might not have left a form behind, the guy was a murdered and later tamed by the group. but we all know him for his great skill with those weapons.
    Last edited by Shaolinlueb; 10-10-2007 at 08:12 AM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho Mantis View Post
    Genes too busy rocking the gang and scarfing down bags of cheetos while beating it to nacho ninjettes and laughing at the ridiculous posts on the kfforum. In a horse stance of course.

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    i thought considering his whole family was killed. and even his adopted students as well. most people will associate there form with kwan yu to give it notoriety. but in reality it doesn;t come from him. also all of kwna yu forms were made for horse back not on foot. so even if it was a form that existed you would probably need a horse to do them.

  4. #4
    hung gar has some guan gung inspired moves (same guy but he's just generally called guan gung more than guan yu so it might be more helpful if in your search u asked for guan gung)

    but yeah the guan dao is actually called aq guan dao because it was the knife (dao) of general guan so pretty much all guan dao forms have a link to him


    especcially in hung gar where such moves as stroking your long beard (as he would have done) are included


    hope that helps
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    I don't know how accurate it is or not, but wikipedia's article on the Kwan Dao says the following:

    However, historically speaking it is likely that Guan Yu most likely would not have used a dagger-axe (ji) . While the famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong describes him as wielding the guan dao, this description might be an anachronistic one, as there is no illustration to show that it was ever used prior to the 7th cent. Tang dynasty or the Song dynasty when it was first illustrated in the military manual Wujing Zongyao. The guan dao, therefore, was likely neither invented nor ever used by Guan Yu, meaning that it is somewhat of a pop culture-derived misnomer. However, some historians believe that the guan dao was simply an uncommon, rare weapon prior to the Song dynasty and was thus not illustrated before then.
    IF that is true, than he didn't leave any martial lineage involving the weapon at all.

    Quote Originally Posted by golden arhat View Post
    but yeah the guan dao is actually called aq guan dao because it was the knife (dao) of general guan so pretty much all guan dao forms have a link to him.
    It's actually called a Yan Yue Dao (偃月刀), which can be translated as "reclining moon knife". (I make no claim of being a linguist.)
    Last edited by ghostexorcist; 10-10-2007 at 08:53 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ghostexorcist View Post
    I don't know how accurate it is or not, but wikipedia's article on the Kwan Dao says the following:



    IF that is true, than he didn't leave any martial lineage involving the weapon at all.



    It's actually called a Yan Yue Dao (偃月刀), which can be translated as "reclining moon knife". (I make no claim of being a linguist.)
    exaclty, but we still associate it with him.

    in reality, he would have used a halberb, spear, bow, or sword of some sort.

    zhang fei was famous for his spear work. they say snake head spear but who know's if that is true. this is the problem with history during that time. they never wrote down anything. if they did the next dynasty probably got rid of it all.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho Mantis View Post
    Genes too busy rocking the gang and scarfing down bags of cheetos while beating it to nacho ninjettes and laughing at the ridiculous posts on the kfforum. In a horse stance of course.

  7. #7
    thanks for the info guys. As for Guan Yu, does anyone know of his date of birth and death? And other than Hung Gar, what other styles use the kwan dao?
    dumb question<< are there any shaolin forms that use it? ( purely because my imagination always brings to mind a shaolin monk when thinking of a martial artist)

    and as for the no historic illustrations of the kwan dao, are there no paintings or statues of Guan Yu wielding a kwan dao from that time?
    Last edited by -disciple-; 10-10-2007 at 09:02 AM.

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    And other than Hung Gar, what other styles use the kwan dao?
    Just about every one does. Even Chen Tai chi has a Kwan dao form. Wing Chun does not, but thats the only one I can think of off the top of my head.

    are there any shaolin forms that use it?
    Yes
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    the only illustrations of guan yu are from later dynasties. they all show him as a massive 9 foot tall man with the huge 80 cattie gwan dao. who knows if he even had a beard?

    his estimated birth and death are 160–219 a.d.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_D...Crescent_Blade
    there is a link about his blade.
    Last edited by Shaolinlueb; 10-10-2007 at 12:19 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Psycho Mantis View Post
    Genes too busy rocking the gang and scarfing down bags of cheetos while beating it to nacho ninjettes and laughing at the ridiculous posts on the kfforum. In a horse stance of course.

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    check out this back issue

    See my article The General's Blade: Kungfu's Mightiest Weapon, The Kwan Dao in our 2001 March/April issue.
    Gene Ching
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  11. #11
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    I bought one of those babies off you guys.

    The one I learned with was much lighter.

    But wielding my Kwan do now takes a lot of strength, balance and poise + you have to look pretty doing it or it's no good. Just blows the whole thing. Luckily, I am still pretty.
    Kung Fu is good for you.

  12. #12
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    ttt 4 2015!

    The Guan Yu Gundam: a story of passion and friendship
    Hayashi 'Fang' Hougi 5 hours ago



    Those who are familiar with Chinese history should be familiar with Romance of the Three Kingdoms, an epic that is now considered one of the greatest literary classics in China. Detailing legendary tales from the warring era of the Three Kingdoms, the book itself is full of stories of love, friendship and loyalty.

    Fast forward to modern times, where we find three ardent robot fans in China with the spirit of the Three Kingdoms coursing through their veins who came together to create an amazing gigantic Gundam-like statue based on one of the best known characters in the epic – Guan Yu.

    Known as a loyal and ferocious warrior, Guan Yu formed a brotherhood with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei early in his career, and it is this deep bond and friendship among them that we remember best today. In fact, Guan Yu is such a symbol of loyalty and bravery that today there are many temples around Chinese-speaking regions that worship him.

    Enter ZhouZe Fu, a novice welder and artist, ShenXin Xing, an expert welder, and Wong Rong, a robot maker. The three men came to know one another when Zhou learned that Wong had built and donated several robots. Zhou, a fan of gigantic robot statues himself, had always wanted to join forces with other robot builders, but Wong was the first he had met who was willing to donate his works for free. Just like how LiuBei had approached Guan Yu and Zhang Fei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhou gathered Wong and Shen, and his dream is finally becoming a reality.



    Zhou drew up the designs and drafted the model, Shen welded the parts together, and Wong was out in charge of planning the parts and making sure everything went smoothly. Zhou said, “We are just like the three brothers working towards the same dream.” Because of that, they decided to bring Guan Yu, the Chinese symbol of loyalty and friendship, to life in this robot. On top of that, they also kept the statue ‘green’ by using 100-percent recycled parts. Wong donated old car parts from his shop, while the three would journey to recycling shops in nearby villages on their numerous “treasure hunts” to find other pieces they could use.

    The three plan to finish the statue by Chinese New Year, and the completed Guan Yu is estimated to be at least 10 metres (32 ft) tall and weigh at least 10 tonnes. Wong added that just the sword that Guan Yu wields would weigh at least 250 kg (approx. 550 lbs). We’ll certainly be watching out for the completion of this majestic robot!

    Source/Images: Zhejiang News, U148 h/t Aol News

    We want to see that 550 lb Kwan Dao!
    Gene Ching
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    ttt 4 2016!

    So awesome. Makes me want to go back to Henan, just to make offerings here.

    China will put up a 1,200 ton statue of ancient warrior


    The scaffolding around China's largest statue of Guan Yu is being removed to unveil the towering figure.IMAGE: PEOPLE'S DAILY/FACEBOOK

    BY ALICIA TAN SINGAPORE 11 HOURS AGO

    The residents of Jinzhou in Henan, China will soon be watched over by the country's largest statue of the beloved Chinese warrior, Guan Yu.

    The statue weighs 1,200 tonnes and stands 58m tall, and is said to be the heaviest statue in the world of the fabled general, reported People's Daily.

    In 2009, a similar statue was erected in Guan's hometown in the Shanxi province. That one measures 61m tall, including a 19m tall pedestal and is smaller than Jinzhou's.


    The Shanxi province statue of Guan Yu.
    IMAGE: WEI XINGZHI/IMAGINECHINA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

    Most of the lore surrounding Guan talks of his bravery and skills on the battlefield during the country's Three Kingdoms period (200 - 280 A.D).



    People's Daily, China
    on Thursday

    The war general has also been popularised in the classic Chinese novel, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Chinese continue to worship him like a deity, as many believe that he became a god in his afterlife and will provide blessings of good fortune.

    Shrines of Guan are a common sight in traditional Chinese shops and restaurants across China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
    Gene Ching
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  14. #14
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    It's done

    China photo of the day: Three Kingdoms
    GBTIMES
    2016/06/17


    The scene is set for the the grand opening of the new bronze Guan Gong statue in China's Hubei Province. (Photo: China News Service)

    The sun shines and the scene is set ahead of the grand opening of the bronze Guan Gong statue in Jingzhou city, Hubei Province on the morning of June 17.

    The statue, the world's largest bronze depiction of the ancient Chinese figure, stands at 58 metres tall and weighs more than 1,200 tonnes.

    Also known as Guan Yu, Guan Gong was a general who served in the late Eastern Han dynasty and remains a deified figure from Chinese history.

    The statue, which also features a 70-metre-long and 136 tonne guandao (long blade), was created by Han Meilin, who also designed the mascots for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
    Shoot. This was posted on our WEB FU section in our JUL+AUG 2016 issue but the link was incorrect.
    Gene Ching
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  15. #15
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    More on the statue

    Gigantic statue of ancient warrior god Guan Yu completed in Hubei
    Created by James Martin
    July 14, 2016 at 8:00 am

    A leviathan statue of the ancient Chinese warrior god Guan Yu has been completed in Jingzhou city in Hubei province.


    The statue weighs five times more than the Statue of Liberty in the US. Image by CCTV

    The statue features over 4,000 strips of bronze and stands at 58 meters tall. The gargantuan god weighs in at a stunning 1,320 tonnes and can be seen holding a huge weapon known as the Green Dragon Crescent Blade that weighs a further 136 tonnes.


    The Statue holds the “Green Dragon Crescent Blade”.

    The piece acts as an impressive centre piece of the Guan Yu Park in Jingzhou, with an 8,000 square metre Guan Yu Museum inside the pedestal that was designed to mimic an ancient warship.


    There is an 8,000 square metre museum to the historical figure beneath the statue. Image by CCTV

    Guan Yu was a real person who lived in China during the Three Kingdoms Period, and served as a General with a fearless reputation in the late Eastern Han dynasty.


    The figure of Guan Yu stands at 58 metres tall. Image by CCTV

    This looks magnificent.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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